


널하다

by usahitsu



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, Fluff, Genderbending, Mutual Pining, Slice of Life, author has a band 5 in muet but not an A in creative writing, changki are siblings, kihyuk are just dumb and dumber, lots of best friends kihyuk, overuse of noona
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-10-20 05:56:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17616794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/usahitsu/pseuds/usahitsu
Summary: Girls like guys who are taller, older, and stronger than them.Yoo Kihyun does not belong to any of those categories.(or Kihyun decides to ditch the textbook definition of the ideal man in favour of the demon by the name of Lee Minhyuk, for the sake of an unconventional circumstance.)





	널하다

**Author's Note:**

> this started off as an au i tweeted about (so uh if you ever saw that tweet, hi) then i got desperate and there's an absolute zero amount of search results. so i went and cooked one to feed myself and sai (tahniah kerana dah habis finals dan maaf sebab lambat ye kak).
> 
> also i write because im too lazy to draw the aus. compensation to me works in really weird ways. 
> 
> unbeta'ed. yeet.
> 
> edit: i had a playlist!!
> 
> 1\. because of u  
> 2\. sweetheart/white sugar  
> 3\. gravity  
> 4\. one more step  
> 5\. all i do  
> 6.attracted woman  
> 7\. madeleine

Girls like guys who are taller than them, stronger, and older. 

 

Yoo Kihyun unfortunately, is not in that list. 

 

A majority of the student population is somewhere his height and he’s often towered over by even the boys in the year below.

 

He has to tiptoe just to get his mug from the top shelf even though he’s fairly sure his family knows he’s haunted by a curse (really, that’s the only explanation Kihyun can think of. Everyone but  _ him _ gets a taste of 180 cm). 

 

His hands cramp if he moves it in a certain way and bruises come and go like a frequent visitor that he doesn’t know where it comes from.

 

But girls, as far as he  _ assumes _ , prefer boys who are not like him. 

 

He’s a year and a few months younger than Hyunja. A year and a few months behind in life experiences, a year and a few months’ worths of maturity lesser than the senior he’s been crushing on. 

 

How is he going to beat the guys her age and all the ones older than her?

 

No one wants an unreliable guy so Kihyun uproots the tree deep inside him. 

 

ㅅ

 

The first flower bloomed when he couldn’t find his way out of the crowd. 

 

His small stature caused him a great deal of stress including getting crushed by colliding shoulders in what seemed to be a stampede to find their classroom just before the first bell rings. 

 

Just as Kihyun was a 100% sure that he’ll end up in the infirmary on his very first day of school, his saviour swept him away from the crowd and pulled him by the hem of his blazer to a nearby empty hallway.

 

The boy turned around abruptly to both thank the person for getting him out of that hell but to chastise for possibly making him late on the first day. But the words remained in his throat when he took a good look at her.

 

A girl possibly half a head taller than him, quite large in retrospect to his own even if Kihyun didn’t consider her broad shoulders. Strong eyebrows furrowed along with her full lips jutted out in a frown, the side-swept bangs framing her face was a cute touch despite how awkward she was being.

 

It reminded him of the teddy bear his older brother brought home after the older got rejected by his classmate. The poor teddy sat comfortably in his bedroom because it seemed like a waste to throw away a cute plushie but too awkward for his brother to keep.

 

Now, it’s probably going to haunt him at night with images of this senior. 

 

He said his thanks with a bow and found out that her name’s Son Hyunja - a senior who got scared he’ll get crushed to crumbs by the parade of late students.

 

The name fit her in ways he couldn’t say how but maybe it lied in how she seemed reliable and helpful to him though they were strangers with no prior connections.

 

She was cool and Kihyun didn’t know his admiration would grow to even more.

 

ㅕ

 

The second flower bloomed when lunch was brought on by the chime of bells.

 

Somehow, Minhyuk and himself found themselves adopted by the swim team. 

 

( A phenomenon that neither of the two imagined especially since Minhyuk was dramatically allergic to swimming and Kihyun was the fool who unknowingly signed himself up as the best friend who’d he go through the ends of Hell together with.

 

The younger supposed it had something to do with recruitment day and he brought along packed lunch knowing he’ll meet the girl when the teachers brought them to the school pool.

 

True to his expectations, Hyunja was there but his cooking fell victim to the hands of the other seniors as well.

 

Maybe the seniors got so enamoured by the bursting flavours that they begged him to stop by often with food even if he wasn’t a member.

 

Minhyuk argued that it was because he’s a spectacular Angelababy lookalike and a refreshing eye candy for the team.)

 

The cacophony of voices became something of white noise to Kihyun after weeks of hearing it. It was annoying at first and he had to endure it for Hyunja’s sake (and Minhyuk because that bitch was an insatiable prick with a small pool to choose from) but over time, he found the chaotic combination lively and a remedy to the boring classes.

 

“Kihyun-ah, taste this,” Hyunja brought a ball of seasoned rice wrapped in sliced egg omelette to his lips. He took it without question and the way it melted in his mouth sent him into a state of bliss.

 

“Noona, this tastes so good,” he moaned. Hyunja nodded then returned to her own lunch box.

 

Wanting to return the gesture, Kihyun picked up his own share of lunch and offered it to the older. Hyunja didn’t take it with her own hands rather accepted it with parted lips and a single bite.

 

Kihyun’s heart raced.

 

He saw the way Hyunja’s cheeks fill up with the food that he made, the way it moved in her mouth and the face she made whenever she’s eating that Minhyuk dubbed as the angry face. She gulped it down after a few chews and hummed.

 

“That was tasty,” she smiled. But him? He was a goner.

  
  


ㄴ

 

Best friends exist for a reason.

 

It’s an unwritten rule that you’ll have to deal with whatever bullshit your amazing other half is up to (per terms and conditions of course but logic is thrown out of the window when the situation is ridiculous) and Kihyun dealt with Minhyuk’s whinings of tragic meet-ups behind the school and the phone calls he did to get the older out of painful, awkward dates.

 

So it’s only fair for the other to return the favour by cringing in second-hand embarrassment and frustration listening to Kihyun’s critical self-analysis in a relationship he has yet to have.

 

He throws a wet towel full of his sweat in Kihyun’s face when his phone alarm rings and claps. “Holy shit, Ki. 3 whole hours of that,” he whistles in amazement. The younger shrieks when the damp cloth hits him and the stench becoming unbearable to his nose.

 

He scrunches his nose. “Shut up and let me have this. What happened to being there for me?” he scowls.

 

Minhyuk wiggles his index. “I am here for you. You called and told me to come over so I did. I didn’t say I’d be here for you in that way, did I?” he snickers.

 

“You’re an asshole, you know that? I want a refund,” the boy grunts. He leaves the towel on his face, too engrossed in his teenage love crisis to even care. Maybe the stench of Minhyuk’s armpits will be enough to send him into a coma so long he’d eventually lose the crush. 

 

But reality crashes into him in the form of Lee Minhyuk landing on his ass on Kihyun’s torso causing the younger to choke and suffocate. 

 

He tries to push the heavier boy off but Minhyuk sticks to his spot adamant to move. “Dude, listen. Be obvious about it! Don’t beat around the bush!” he huffs nodding to each of his words. 

 

“Then what do you suggest I do? Go on a quest and get myself killed with my own sword and become a goblin? Go join a performing arts school and hire Ok Taecyeon as my rival? Or should I sign myself up at a host club by knocking into an 8 million won vase? Pray tell, Lee Minhyuk, God of Romance, Idol of Cupid, Teacher of Aphrodite. What the fuck do you think I should do?”

 

The corners of Minhyuk’s lips curl upwards along with his eyes mimicking the crescent moon. He lets out a loud cackle that Kihyun knows by heart and equates to destruction and humiliation. The glint in the boy’s eyes tells the younger that no, maybe humiliation is an understatement. It’s Lee Minhyuk. All expectations is an underestimated. 

 

“Well, you’ve  got three things and not the whole month to do.”

 

ㄱ

 

He’s a dumbass, that’s what. 

 

Of course he just  _ had _ to tell Minhyuk that a month before Valentine’s without realising it. Only he can do that. Not even Minhyuk ate with that damned ballpoint pen. Hey, maybe the bleach finally reached his brains! Or perhaps, after years of holding the title of Minhyuk’s best friend, Kihyun has finally lost it! 

 

Yes, that is the only explanation to why he agreed to serenade to Hyunja in the fucking cafeteria during break time. 

 

Dressed as a prince. 

 

Of course, in manga or whatever cursed clichéd romance material of the  _ same fucking plot just different characters God why can’t people be creative- _ there is, guys like those are charming and attractive. 

 

But in real life? 

 

That’s a one way ticket to being a future high school reunion laughingstock. 

 

Yet, here he is. 

 

Winging it, he inhales all of his shame and wills his fingers to move. “Noona, I’m practising for the musical, can you help me?” Kihyun trembles. His voice shakes and he throw himself into the rubbish bin. 

 

Hyunja looks at him up and down, nodding to show her appreciation of his elaborate costume. “You can sing now, Kihyun-ah,” she motions with her hand then clasps them over her knees, an expectant look stretched over her face. 

 

_ Fuck it.  _

 

So he starts. 

 

Kihyun doesn’t know what song he’s singing. He vaguely remembers the song he drilled into his head the entire week. The words spill out of his mouth as muscle memory but he does know it’s a sweet song of a youthful romance in the eyes of a boy so infatuated - just like he is. 

 

When the song’s over, the question sits on the tip of his tongue. Kihyun desperately wants to say it and get it done by the first try - the faster it’s done the better - but he knows better than to rush things. Read the mood or die. 

 

Hyunja gives him a closed smile, one that reaches her eyes and hides them. But instead, he receives an arrow to the heart and a kick in the shins. Oh, how wonderful is love. 

 

“That was nice, Ki. I’ll look forward to the musical,” Hyunja gives him a thumbs up. Kihyun chokes because haha Minhyuk got the entire theatre club to get in on the confession but he highly doubts Dodo would go that far and he doesn’t really want to piss off 57 people in one go. 

 

Great, he might have to break her heart before she breaks his. 

 

“Noona, actually I-”

 

“Hyunja! There’s an emergency team meeting with the coach now, we gotta go!”

 

Hyunja looks at him apologetically and squeezes his hand in pity. “Sorry, I’ll have to go. Text me later with whatever you wanted to say, okay?” she says. 

 

Kihyun watches the girl get up from her seat and leave the cafeteria in a hurry, trailing behind the other swim team members and fitting in with their tall, tanned figures. 

 

All the while he’s sitting in the middle of a cafeteria with Hoseok’s guitar in his hand dressed like a bootleg Prince Eric. 

 

“Hey Yoo Kihyun, sing that song again!”

 

The cafeteria erupts in cheers and Kihyun groans, remembering Minhyuk has two options left for him. 

 

ㅕ

 

Rule no.1: Never trust Lee Minhyuk.

 

Even if the idea seems plausible at the time, always turn it down. That’s what Kihyun tells people left and right. He’s been the boy’s best friend for like a _ decade, _ knows the boy inside out and is practically his platonic soulmate that he shares all his brain cells with.

 

Yet, because of the same exact reason, Kihyun finds himself yet in another predicament.

 

_ The fact you know that Minhyuk knows you is the exact reason why you shouldn’t trust him not listen to him, you fucking idiot!  _

 

Then again he’s the one who saw the Holy Grail in this idea and jumped on it without a second thought then found themselves squished in the aisle of K-mart looking for cheap, low-quality hair gel and shoujo manga ( “Listen, we need you to be a dream guy. So none of that realistic bullshit, all that good stuff is in the fantasy world.” “Is that why you’re looking for a volume of Horimiya?” “Excuse you, Miyamura is a loving and caring boyfriend who goes along with Hori’s freak ass and you need that kind of love in your life, you pathetic excuse of a teenager wasting your youth up until this moment” “I’m looking for a way to not get rejected, not a way to be a slave.”)

 

Dressed in a leather jacket borrowed from Jooheon and a white tee that clings to his torso showing off the results of his workout regime along with ripped denim jeans in the middle of winter. Minhyuk put extra effort in his hair, styling it with the gel they bought the week before in a slit back hair putting his forehead on display and makeup to accentuate his strong eyebrows.

 

All for the illusion of being a reliable and older boy that Kihyun is of neither.

 

Kihyun waits outside of the 3rd years’ block waiting for Hyunja to come out. The seniors had to stay morning until the clock strikes 9PM for supplementary classes so the younger took the liberty of making packed meals for her until it’s time for the CSAT.

 

“Kihyun-ah! Over here,” he whips his head, his heart thumping at the sound of the girl’s voice. The boy runs over to the bench Hyunja’s sitting on, the lunchbox in hand.

 

The teenager smoothens his hair back with his free hand and greets her with a laugh. “Noona, I didn’t see you there.” Hyunja nods but her eyes are already feasting on the package Kihyun has with him. “I almost didn’t recognise you dressed like that. You look like a VN character,” she chuckles, shooting yet another Cupid’s arrow sending him off to paradise.

 

A blush creeps up his face, ears reddening when she points out the look he’s going for. Maybe Minhyuk got it right. Not that he’ll ever admit his sense of fashion stinks like Sangah says it does. He just has a unique taste that consists of black, vantablack, and more black.

 

“Do I? Haha,” he laughs throwing his head back both in shamelessness because he knows he does and in embarrassment because he’s dressed like it’s autumn even though his nipples are frozen to the core and he could really get some mittens before he accidentally hits the chair and loses his fingers to frostbite.

 

Hyunja hums in satisfaction, opening the lid and sniffing in the scent of freshly cooked kimbap and the gochujang at the side. She leaves the lid back onto the container and gets up, towering over Kihyun. She ruffles his hair making him whine at the waste of hard work put into the stubborn strands, bidding a farewell.

 

Surprised, he tugs her wrist. “But you just got out! It’s break time,” he says in a panic. Hyunja gives him a sympathetic look, “I’ve still got some homework to finish before the next class. Sorry, Ki.”

 

He lets go of her arm in defeat, whispering his own goodbye but in disbelief at yet another lost chance robbed away within a second just like that.

 

_ That’s okay, you’ve still got one more chance. _

 

ㄴ

 

Except he doesn’t.

 

“What the fuck do you mean?” he grits out. Minhyuk doesn’t stir from his spot, sucking on the lemon-flavoured lollipop and focusing on his PSP instead of his best friend’s dilemma. Saving the world with the help of personas during the midnight hour is more important apparently, Kihyun thinks as he hears Minhyuk shriek when he loses to a Jack Frost, “ The fuck!? I used agidyne! A level 39 Orpheus with agidyne! How the hell did I lose to a Jack Frost that’s only at Bufu!?”

 

Kihyun snatches the PSP away earning a whimper in return. “Explain to me why the third option is giving up and moving on. What happened to the romantist Lee Minhyuk that I know?”

 

The boy throws both of his hands. Clicking his tongue, he lifts himself up and sits back straight. “It’s a sign that it’s not meant to be. Or at least not the right time. Hyunja-noona has to study for the exams, remember? And we’re just second years.”

 

“That didn’t stop you the previous two times.”

 

“That’s the romantist Minhyuk. This is the realistic Minhyuk, Ki. Think about it, why would noona look your way? You’re her junior. She spends more time around boys her age, probably closer relations. I’m not saying you should stop 100%, but maybe you should stick to just being her junior?” the boy offers.

 

Kihyun pinches the bridge of his nose processing his friend’s words. He’s right in a way but Kihyun doesn’t think he can just drop it.

 

Then again, what if Hyunja had thought he was just messing around? High school kids do stupid and weird things. Kihyun heard of his seniors switching their uniforms with one another, heard of the time seniors from six years ago pulling a prank and wearing tin foil hats during the exams. If it does come to that, she’ll just think that Kihyun’s pranking her in a tame manner.

 

“Urghhhhhhh,” he groans, planting himself face first on the couch .Minhyuk pats his head gently and coos at him like he’s petting Dambi. Kihyun feels the boy cup his ears though he feels like he’s being treated like a child, he lets it go on anyways. “Aigoo, my big baby. Don’t worry, your hyung is here,” Minhyuk rubs the younger’s helixes in circular motions. 

 

“The last time you said that, this happened,” Kihyun bites, his voice muffled by the leather cushions. Minhyuk pinches the ears and the younger yelps, feeling the sting. 

 

“The fuck!?” 

 

“Your  _ hyung _ is here for you.”

 

Just as he’s about to scratch the older like a feral cat, nails in the place of sharp claws, his phone lights up with a notification displayed on the screen. Minhyuk shoves it in his face as a barrier and Kihyun growls at the other for being a coward, relying on the text to save his ass. 

 

He grabs it with a huff and unlocks the phone. It’s Hyunja. 

 

**Mon Hyunja ♥( ^Θ^ ):** hey

**Mon Hyunja ♥( ^Θ^ ):** are you free?

**Mon Hyunja ♥( ^Θ^ ):** i need to give you something

**Mon Hyunja ♥( ^Θ^ ):** my parents made it

**Kinghyun:** yeah sure

**Kinghyun:** when? 

**Mon Hyunja ♥( ^Θ^ ):** in 15 minutes, the cafe? 

**Kinghyun:** ok cool

**Mon Hyunja ♥( ^Θ^ ):** ㅎㅊㅎ ♥

 

A whistle in his ear. Kihyun laughs not at all suggesting acceptance of Minhyuk’s behaviour as he shoves Minhyuk’s face away with his palm. The older boy stumbles backwards, his head hitting the softness of the cushions. 

 

Before he could grab onto the shorter boy’s ankle and begs him to drop by the convenience store, Kihyun grabs his wallet and runs out of his house. 

 

“I’m preparing the speech as the best man!”

 

Minhyuk snickers and when Sangah comes out of her bedroom because of the commotion, the boy barks like a maniac.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The cafe Hyunja works at is quiet. Perfect for students doing last-minute cramming and pulling all of their hair out doing their assignments. But on days like today, there aren’t many of kids his age sitting about the place. They’re all minding their own business typing away furiously on their laptops. 

 

He spots Hyunja in her work uniform sitting at the other end of the cafe near the cashier. Waving as he makes his way to the table, Hyunja raises two cups of melon juice. “The manager said it’s on the house.”

 

“What’s the occasion?” Kihyun laughs wrinkles forming near his eyes. The boy takes a seat opposite her. He says his thanks when Hyunja passes him the drink and sips. It’s sweet. "It's Valentine's Day." He can't feel his legs. Oh. Right. 

 

Hyunja smiles and her cheeks swell. Besides her forearms, her cheeks are the other things of her that Kihyun loves to pinch. They remind him of dough. Hand clasped over the other, she leans forward. Kihyun does the same. Her mouth’s close to his ears and he swears if Hyunja leans forward a little bit more, it’s a kiss on the ear. 

 

“Kihyun-ah I like you too.”

 

He spurts out the drink, choking on a considerable amount. 

 

A bit disappointed in his reaction, Hyunja sinks back into her seat. “Did I read you wrong?” she asks in a hushed tone, ears reddening in embarrassment. Kihyun wipes away any spill on his face. “N-no! But how did you know!? I didn’t even say anything yet!” he says in frantic. 

 

“Ah, Sangah said so.”

 

Mr. Yoo and Ms. Im’s going to come home to find their only daughter dead. Murdered by their eldest.

 

“Minhyuk told her that he’s got a plan and well, she told me,” Hyunja replies sheepishly. Noticing the grim expression he’s got, she laughs. “It was nice, you know.”

 

Kihyun grunts wanting to say it’s anything but. He dressed like a fool (okay, maybe he is a fool. A fool in love) in front of the student body, his serenade in the guise of a musical practice. He looked like a kid trying to be an adult wannabe just to impress the older but she barely batted an eye. 

 

Caught up in his disgust at his own self, Kihyun scowls. 

 

“Yah, it’s not as bad as you think it is, Kihyunnie.”

 

“Dress up like a budget Juliet and do a karaoke session in front of the entire school then you tell me if it’s good.”

 

“As bad as my chopped hair last year?” Hyunja counters. The memory rushes to him in a flash and he gets thrown into a fit of laughter when yes, it isn’t as bad as going to school every day with your looking like it got unevenly chopped with an axe. At the very least, he provided some amusement to his schoolmates. 

 

There’ still a question that bugs him. 

 

“But… why would you like me? I’m short, young, and weak. I’m not like… you know.”

 

Hyunja sips her drink but her gaze locks onto the boy. “You make me sound like a cougar,” she says “You’re reliable and nice, Kihyun-ah. Besides, look at me. I’m not exactly the textbook girl, am I?” she asks rhetorically, flexing her biceps to prove her point. 

 

Slipping his hands between his thighs, he lowers his head.Well, she’s right. She’s taller than the boys in the school, muscles bigger than theirs. She has a voice lower than your usual day-to-day girls and a personality that reminds him of a kuudere at times. 

 

There’s no need to go by the book, no rule to go by it anyway. 

 

His phone vibrates in his pocket and it’s Sangah asking why the demon with spaghetti limbs has been cackling on the floor for the past half an hour, saying that her older brother is off to get her sister-in-law. Then, Kihyun remembers the text the girl sent before. 

 

“Noona, what was it that you wanted to give me?” 

 

Hyunja stiffens but blood shots up to her ears, turning them red instantly. She battles against the smile that’s slowly forming. Kihyun knows it’s the smile of embarrassment. She raises her left hand, reluctantly putting it near her lips. Then she gives him a finger heart. “My heart.”

 

_ A teddy bear!  _ Kihyun screams on the inside. 

 

Right after the girl does so, Hyunja shivers in cringe. She grips her shoulders too embarrassed to look at the younger in the eye. Her soul left her body. Kihyun’s lips curl knowingly, his walnut chin making an appearance. Reaching out to tease the older girl, Hyunja swats his hand away. 

 

“Ya, don’t you know it’s rude to tease your elders?”

 

“Ah~ But noona, this is our first date~ I’d lose my pride as a guy~ This pretty noona, cute noona~” Kihyun coos. 

 

“I deadlift. You want a go with my arms? I don’t mind.”

 

The boy laughs again. The sunlight peeks through the glass windows and rests on Hyunja’s really,  _ really _ pretty features: her high cheekbones, strong eyebrows, her sharp nose, and her long silky black hair becomes brown under it. Her eyes reminds him of soothing honey, the home remedy for any pain and the phantom sweetness makes its presence. There’s no other way Kihyun can describe her looks other than pretty. 

 

It’s nice not having to hide his feelings, even better his crush isn’t met with rejection. It’s liberating and Kihyun thinks it feels even better than the time he found his favourite chicken restaurant. 

 

He told Minhyuk that once and that’s how they concluded he has a crush on the senior. Kihyun would do  _ anything _ for chicken. 

 

The garden in his heart is in full bloom and in the middle of it, a girl who’s the polar opposite of him, who complements him, who bloomed the first flower. Kihyun’s first spring comes in the form of a girl named Son Hyunja. 


End file.
